

OF THE UNITED STATES 259 



He even testified to the fact that he left his tent and went over 

 to the tree to look at them. 



Professor Alfred Newton, F.R.S., in his very excellent Diction- 

 ary of Birds, concludes his article " Parrot " (pt. iii, p. 691) with 

 the following statement : " Considering the abundance of Parrots 

 both as species and individuals, and their wide extent oyer the 

 globe, it is surprising how little is known of their habits in a wild 

 state. Even the species with which Englishmen and their de- 

 scendants have been more in contact than any other has an al- 

 most unwritten history, compared with that of many other birds ; 

 and, seeing how many are oppressed by and yielding to man's 

 occupation of their ancient haunts, the extirpation of some is 

 certain, and will probably be accomplished before several inter- 

 esting and some disputed points in their economy have been de- 

 cided. The experience of small islands only foreshadows what 

 will happen in tracts of greater extent, though there more time is 

 required to produce the same result; but, the result being in- 

 evitable, those who are favorably placed for observations should 

 neglect no opportunities of making them ere it be too late." 



A number of fine monographs have been devoted to this very 

 thoroughly isolated group of birds, and much has also been writ- 

 ten upon their anatomy, habits, and distribution, with schemes 

 for their classification, yet a great deal remains, as Professor 

 Newton remarks, to be said about them. 



